Southampton have confirmed the departure of manager Ivan Juric in the aftermath of their relegation from the Premier League.

The Saints suffered the earliest relegation in division history as Sunday’s defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur confirmed their fate on matchday 31 – the earliest gameweek in which any side has ever been relegated from the competition.

Juric lost 12 of his 14 games in charge after assuming control in December, when Southampton were already firmly bottom of the standings following the departure of Russell Martin.

Simon Rusk, who assumed temporary control of the side following Martin’s exit late last year, will be assisted by midfielder Adam Lallana. The 36-year-old has played 18 times since returning to the club last summer but will now focus his efforts on helping to steer the Saints to the end of the season.

Despite already being relegated, there is still plenty to play for as Southampton are battling to avoid becoming the worst side in Premier League history.

The Saints currently sit on ten points and need two more from their last seven games to eclipse the current record held by Derby County from the 2007/08 season.

The defeat to Spurs was Southampton’s 25th of the campaign. The record for most losses in a single campaign sits at 29, shared by Derby, Ipswich Town (1994/95), Sunderland (2005/06) and Sheffield United (2020/21).